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A site dedicated to discussing a variety of action & martial arts film entertainment. The written and expressive work of the author(s) of Film Combat Syndicate is/are protected by Copyright Law. To send us scoops or share your inquiries, email us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com.

Consider tonight as one of those rare occasions I post a trailer teaser to a film, which happens to be exactly the case with the new sneak peek for Zack Snyder's Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Opening on March 25, 2016, the film is the next pivotal page turner for Warner Bros. as it aims for a sprawling and epic cinematic universe that can match or top that of Disney's work with Marvel.

My Thanksgiving weekend almost tempted me to opt out of putting together another Hit List! What can I say, it was fun to unplug and I'll probably do more of that in the near future. In the meantime, a new installment is here for the week with a great deal of stunt reels and just a few shortfilms and test fights to share...

Golmaal and Singham franchise helmer Rohit Shetty is back with a new romantic action comedy thriller, Dilwale. Shetty reunites with leading man Shah Rukh Khan following the 2013 film Chennai Express with a story that otherwise promises Hindi audiences a nicely packaged story of song and dance, goofy laughs and romance, and a useful serving of blazing gun battles and punches to the face for good measure.

Today's age of remakes and reboots is not without its share of criticisms. Some fans are hardliners and purists about their favorite franchises and largely choose not to have them reobserved in any way shape or fashion, which can both be a good and a bad thing despite many opinions. For the instance of the launch of the next installation of the Rocky saga, Creed, this is most certainly a good thing, notwithstanding its explosive opening weekend at the box office. The film takes its cues directly from that of its predecessors with a new face on the frontline and it does so in a way that respects its origins with an adherance to substance over style and a look ready to engage a new era of moviegoers.

Actor Philip Ng is currently bound for what's sure to be a breakout role as the legendary marital artist and film star, Bruce Lee in director George Nolfi's new film, Birth Of The Dragon. In the meantime, Ng has definitely left an impression on fans of the martial arts genre with a career in which he's worn several hats, including the stunt department. It's a career that otherwise lined-up a very opportune moment for Ng in the role of the classic Chinese hero, Ma Yongzhen in director Wong Ching-Po's 2014 film, Once Upon A Time In Shanghai.

With Street Society helmer Awi Suryadi and actor and martial artist Andrew Suleiman still working the festival rounds with their latest Holy Bastards proof short, You Can't Hear Me, You Can't See Me, I'm guessing we are not too far off from its online release. As for what that means for its feature film prospects, I am uncertain, although the short itself guarantees something particularly fun for fans of the genre, and I've said that many times in the past year and a half I've discussed it.

I choose to believe that better days are ahead for CG in Asian cinema. For now, what we get is a mixed-bag in at least one particular entry into fantasy wuxia with Zhao Tianyu's latest, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl & The Dark Crystal, yet another foray into Chinese folklore that boldly goes all-in on visual spectacle to encompass its epic scope. It's a noteworthy effort but it's not without its stumbles.

Director Riccardo Gabrielli R.'s superhero action short, Zambo Dende, is still in post production with a trailer arriving between now and early next month. In the meantime hopefully you've kept up in the last year or more since this project started taking shape as it advances the prospects of a Latin American superhero entering the arena of today's saturated market laden with comic book movie fandom.

With the promise of a sequel already in play, director John Stockwell's latest induction into the reboot category with Kickboxer: Vengeance is on deck for a release in 2016. The film is still in post production with the forthcoming acting debut of stuntman and martial artist Alain Moussi who reprises the role of Kurt Sloan, as previously legendary film star Jean-Claude Van Damme who joins in as the master who trains Kurt to avenge his brother's death at the hands and knees of the vicious Muay Thai fighter, Tong Po, now played by Dave Bautista.

Director Pedring Lopez's latest action horror thriller, Nilalang, remains on deck for a similataneous local release on December 25 coinciding with this year's Metro Manila Film Festival installation. In the meantime, the promotional campaign continues for what looks to be deemed as a reinforcing milestone for former adult entertainer Maria Ozawa who is journeying toward a more career centric on serious roles.

With friends like these, who needs enemies? I suppose we'll learn more by 2019 after the Infinity War erupts for the Avengers end of the MCU, but for now we have what's coming to us in the latest installment of the Marvel movie saga, Captain America: Civil War.

I can't say much on why it took so long for Chile to finally get a release for director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza's most recent martial arts action thriller, Redeemer. Nevertheless, the film finally has a release set for December 3, and hopefully Chileans have taken heed to the good press this film has already gotten since its Fantastic Fest debut late last year.

Universal Pictures has been keen on reamping its Monsterverse for a while now, with particular respect to last year's origin thriller, Dracula Untold with Luke Evans. Since then the studio had already begun developing a reboot of The Mummy apart from its preceding trilogy which starred Brendan Fraser, with Chris Morgan joining fellow producer Alex Kurtzman who will also direct the reboot.

The next phase of the Marvel craze is already upon us with Captain America: Civil War on track for May of next year among other titles forthcoming. Hardcore comic book geeks can pretty much figure out what's left after this but the journey is finally beginning with an official announcement from Marvel regarding principal photography on Doctor Strange which releases a little less than a year from now.

Deadline reports that Crazy Heart and Out Of The Furnace helmer Scott Cooper is well on the way to board a potential franchise launcher, White Knight, for Warner Bros. The studio is reportedly advancing the film in the vein of Bourne and 007 with a plot that centers on a disgraced secret service agent hired to protect the family of an arms dealer only to find himself at the center of a global CIA manhunt.

With debut director and rising action star Alexander Nevsky(Moscow Heat, Treasure Raiders) fresh from the successful market sales of his 2014 overseas hit, Black Rose, release dates remain pending for 17 countries around the world. The film represents the next stage of Nevsky's career ascension stemming from his successes in Russia as a three-time Mr. Universe winner before establishing himself as a notable film producer, and with particular adherance to a certain goal.

So I pretty much spent my weekend doubling down on a serious Netflix binge. It was a necessary evil though, so I'm sure it'll benefit me sometime in the not-too-distant future after this. In the meantime, I've gotten a few goodies together for this week's Hit List which I've just edited at the last minute for your viewing pleasure.

Guaranteed whatever timeline you follow within the CW's establishment of DC Comics properties, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow reassures a great time for superhero fandom on television. We gained an extensive glimpse into the show back in May and with that footage now offline, the network has officially unveiled new footage showcasing what's in store.

Director Thomas J. Churchill's latest, Check Point, has already made a few rounds at Comic-Con in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is now rolling out its official trailer for the public to see. I haven't seen former wrestler-turned-actor Bill Goldberg in a while so it's nice to see him back on screen along with the likes of actress Michelle Lee and William Forsythe.

My weekend got pretty serious making my personal Netflix binge-watching debut with two Marvel series titles. Daredevil premiered back in April and just this weekend followed by this week's opening of Jessica Jones, both inspired by Marvel and sharing the same universal space as the current theatrical branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

With the ancient mythology of Wu Cheng'en's "Journey To The West" taking precedent in Chinese cinema as of late, Full Strike helmer Derek Kwok is putting forth his own work on a new live-action adaptation of the same narrative. This time, its Biography Of Wukong with Rise Of The Legend and Unbeatable star Eddie Peng starring in the title from Kwok's own script, based on the 2004 publication, Wukong Chuan from author Jin He Zai.

Relativity Media LLC is still on the mend after taking a slow and steady U-turn from bankruptcy in the past several months, and with that, they've managed to get back on track with some of their projects. One such project that's been waiting in the wings thusfar is the reboot of the 1994 film, The Crow, which has seen more than its share of stops and starts since efforts began in 2008 and is on track to roll cameras in March next year.

An undisclosed period of time has since otherwise confirmed that actor and action star Scott Adkins will be leading The Admiral helmer Roel Reine's latest, Hard Target 2. There are currently no plot details as of yet aside from its shared roots with its 1993 predecessor having starred Jean-Claude Van Damme and acclaimed filmmaker John Woo at the helm, though it's fairly nice to know that more information about it is now coming to pass.

If you didn't mind contributing to the blockbuster success or nationalistic fervor of Wu Jing's solo directorial debut, Wolf Warrior back in Spring, then you will be happy to learn that a sequel is now on the way. Asian Film Strike is now buzzing that Wu will return to direct as well as star alongside actress Yu Nan once more with action choreographer Li Chung-Chi likely to return to direct the action.

With director Zack Snyder honing in on his superhero movie-making skills for the next several years on with the Justice League films, he'll be among several directors now embodying the formula to accumulate the long-awaited DC Cinematic Universe following Man Of Steel. That said, there's plenty to look forward to from Warner Bros. with more Batman movies and so on, but it IS high time that our own Gal Gadot will be getting her day on the big screen this coming March in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice as Wonder Woman.

Strictly for the fans in Japan, Ernesto Diaz Espinoza's latest revenge thriller, Redeemer 『ザ・リディーマー』, is heading to DVD and digital on February 3, and the trailer arrived this week. Action star Marko Zaror is a man on a spiritual mission to test his will to live through acts of vigilantism, to which an array of explosive action and martial arts sequences ensue, and much to our delight!

Pitting two bankable film stars in the same movie is one thing, but just what exactly does one look like with actors Kevin Hart and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? Well, for starters, director Rawson Marshall Thurber has an answer to that which begins with the newest trailer for the upcoming action comedy, Central Intelligence, with a plot that surely flips the script, shoots it, crashes into it and throws it out the damn window. Screaming.

With the promise of a January 22 release of director Wilson Yip's Ip Man 3 in the U.S., folks in Hong Kong and China aren't too far off with film getting its day a month earlier this Christmas. Alas, this week's new trailer for the film comes just at the right time, and it may very well just be action star Donnie Yen's last foray in kung fu cinema, though time will tell if that changes.

It's a busy Fall season for action star Jackie Chan in the wake of promoting his newest globetrotting comedy, Skiptrace, with his Abu Dhabi-set Kung Fu Yoga and Ding Sheng's Railroad Tigers still on deck. However, chances are he'll be well onto director Martin Campbell's forthcoming production soon enough with Campbell to begin Relativity's Hunter Killer next Spring.

December 18 is going to be one crowded day at the movies with so many titles to choose from. However, if you haven't had a plate-full by then and have a little more room left, Steven C. Miller's new action thriller, Extraction, ought to help hit the spot...you know, like a superman punch to the face or a swift kick to the sternum. Or something.

Strange things happen when The Raid 2 co-star Cecep Arif Rahman gets angry. But does actress and martial artist Amy Johnston care? Nope, she just goes all in with kicks to the face of anyone who gets in her way!

You have to give it to director Andrey Kravchuk this week. Having been in development for a few years and finally making sales rounds this past Spring and Summer, his latest endeavor, Viking is garnering some heavy attention ahead of its December 22 release in Russia next year.

It's no easy thing to deal with a Hollywood adaptation of a beloved Japanese animated property and such a case includes the latest developments surrounding Snow White & The Huntsman helmer Rupert Sanders's latest, Ghost In The Shell. The brouhaha hasn't really settled since actress Scarlett Johansson was cast for the lead role which happens to be Japanese with an associated name based on the classic anime, and with filming set for New Zealand, further casting announcements are being made that stray farther from the Japan setting in the preceding manga and anime.

Just a year off of his latest award-winning Cannes favorite, The Eleventh Hour, director K. John McDonagh is back with his newest independent fight flick, Enter The Cage. Filming began back in the Summer with actor, P.K.A. Middleweight Champion and stunt coordinator, Dean "Crazy Legs" Williams leading the cast following earlier crowdfunding efforts while photography expected to continue between now and next year upon its release.

Forget the TV spots if you will, lest you spoil yourself with too much footage what with a month left before the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The promotion team is launching a campaign for select winners to win four tickets to see an early premiere and you learn more about it at the official non-profit charity platform, Omaze.com, current home of the "Force For Change" campaign.

The current production of the new Indonesian action thriller, Headshot, still has about a month left, but directors Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel are gracing fans through social media with several raw pics and stills of the production. The latest one, however, lends us a glimpse into the upcoming film's action sequences hosted by lead actor Iko Uwais and his premiere troupe, Uwais Team, with the crew having completed one of its first action scenes just last week.

It's great to see that director Soi Cheang's return to the helm for next year's 3D endeavor, The Monkey King 2, only took two years to arrive. The fact that the first film became such a box office hit in 2014 undoubtedly plays a role in that, but with its initial actor, Donnie Yen out of the picture, it's returning actor Aaron Kwok, no longer the Bull Demon King he was but now in costume as our title hero based on Chinese folklore.

Director Jason Krawczyk's new horror comedy, He Never Died, has plenty to feed off of from its residual acclaim following SXSW earlier this year. It's finally making its way to theaters on December 18 following earlier crowdfunding efforts which are currently on-going, although to that effect, we now have a work-safe trailer which grants us all the same - a carnivorous, cantankerous and brazen badass character in actor Henry Rollins who finds a new lease on other than at the bottom of a bottle sitting at Bingo.

Formerly titled The Ghouls, director Wuershan's latest, Mojin: The Lost Legend has an official U.S. trailer out this week. You can pretty much guess where this adventure goes judging by its artwork or its initial teasers and trailers, and that's not to take away from the spectacular visuals and scope we get in turn. Plus the sight of actress Shu Qi leading the cast is always an endearing one.

Monday's character posters for Cedric Nicolas-Troyan's The Huntsman: Winter's War, were all the hint we needed in learning just how this latest derivative take on childhood folklore would look, aside from its trailer tease on Tuesday. Today, we get a full on trailer and not for nothing either with sweeping views of a kingdom rife with luster and beauty, suddenly overcome by looming darkness and evil by two evil sisters, and with Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain as our only hope for salvation; considering how action-packed and electrifying it looks, I'd say I'm pretty sold on this.

To think there was once a time that a film like Zoolander would only appeal as somewhat an awkward and goofy comedy, is pretty much the antithesis of its box office success. For that you have to give it to actor and director Ben Stiller who, after fifteen years of containing museum exhibits, 'Fockers' and a secret life, is finally back with Zoolander 2, now with even more left-turning and mopey faced Stiller as he and Owen Wilson try to stave off death by old age, ugly looks and bad fashion.

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe now venturing into its third phase and Netflix still heating things up, it's only fair our heroes in ABC's Agent Carter get the same growth. Hayley Atwell wholly steals the screen in the title role for the first film and its subsequent show, and nearly in the same capacity on social media throwing Dubsmash jabs at her fellow Marvel ilk between Comic-Con appearances and such, so it's safe to say Marvel's made the right decision here.

Splash News has gone viral with some behind-the-scenes footage for director Chad Stahelski's new sequel, John Wick 2. Photos have already begun surfacing which offers a good signal boost for the film's social media prospects with fans tweeting sightings of its star actor Keanu Reeves from the various sets and locales of New York City.

Post production is well underway and so fans are much closer to a teaser for director Kellie Madison's latest crowdfunding success, The Gate. On that note, we now turn to a new image below of actress and martial artist Amy Johnston who stars in Madison's upcoming nine-minute proof pitch for the networks ahead of 2016.

Well over a year past the start of any and all hype for director David Dobkin's latest serial contribution, Into The Badlands, I have to say it's hugely deserved. The show just premiered on Sunday with releases online via its home network at AMC and in the UK via Amazon and while it twists a bit of the few historical elements that make it relevant to its earlier reported narrative tied to Chinese mythology, you still get a show with a pretty solid theme and great action to boot.

Well the jury is still out on how In The Blood helmer John Stockwell's latest, Kickboxer: Vengenace will bode for fans of the classic martial arts franchise. However, that hasn't staved off any expectations of there being a sequel with debut actor Alain Moussi posting about it via Facebook.

And so it is - With the Tomb Raider reboot in development as of the last five years, the film finally found a director in The Wave helmer, Norwegian filmmaker Roar Uthaug according to THR. It's a step forward for MGM and Warner Bros. following Graham King's GK Films's acquiring the property from Square Enix in 2011, with this now marking Uthaug's English-language debut.

Director Alex Proyas's latest, Gods Of Egypt is poised for a February 26, 2016 release which is just three months away. Reasonably that means its time to get the promotional campaign going and so it's off to the races as of last week when posters started going viral.

Most Read Articles Of The Week

Right about now you're waiting news over any and all pertaining to Chad Stahelski's John Wick: Chapter Three which is still in production. This week, some of the best news to arise now sees word that Tiger Chen, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman have all joined the production starring opposite Keanu Reeves who returns to star.
A few photos have gone viral in recent weeks seeing Chen merely hinting a presence on set but this latest update is official. The three are said to play opposite Keanu Reeves according news over at The Hollywood Reporter with Chen back on set following a starring role in the 2014 kung fu spiritual drama, Man Of Tai Chi.
It's an update worth noting as it hopefully sets up for a larger Hollywood screen presence for all three martial arts stars who've seen their rise in all of the last nine years collectively, including that of Chen whose friendship dates back to production on The Matrix trilogy. Ruhian and Rahman have been earning their claim to…

Well this is spiffy. Who Taffy Edwards is remains a mystery while said individual sits in the directors chair for upcoming independent crime pic, English Dogs. The film is set to arrive sometime this year and has Time Rush actors Byron Gibson (Only God Forgives) and martial arts sensation, action actor Ron Smoorenberg (Asura) leading the cast.
Plot details are nil as things stand, save for what we can extrapolate from the official trailer that premiered on Wednesday in addition to the film's doughty tagline: "There are 340 breeds of Dogs on the Planet but there can only be one Alpha". And that's about all we got to work with along with what the trailer offers in its ambitious British gangster tropes with Thailand as the backdrop, and watching Gibson throwdown along with shots of Smoorenberg in his element on top of chewing some scenery as a crimeboss, which is always welcome.
Check out the trailer below!

The last few years have seen the wheels turn quite a bit for director Jesse Haaja who made history in debuting Finland's first comic book superhero movie, Rendel. Nowadays he's developing other properties including Furrow, but that doesn't necessarily count out prospects for a sequel while genre specialist Raven Banner has anything to say for it.
Such is what includes Jeremy Kay's Screen International report this weekend with word that sales on a sequel to the Finnish superhero hit film have launched at the Cannes market. Producers at Black Lion Pictures and Frozen Flame Pictures are planning an early 2019 shoot on Rendel 2 which has Haaja returning to the helm to follow up the story of a family man previously resurrected from near-death with a brutal, masked alterego to seek revenge in the name of a city crying out for justice against a criminal organization and their pharmaceutical cohorts. “I can’t even describe how excited I am for this,” Haaja said of the ongoing s…

An exasperating wait, no less, for folks like myself who live in the U.S.. Still, it's nice to know that a Blu-Ray/Digital HD release of the new tournament martial arts thriller, Boyka: Undisputed, is well on its way with an August release, while it's even nicer to know that the film's star, actor and martial artist Scott Adkins wants to do a fifth.
He says so at around the 11:40 mark in his latest interview now online following his recent appearance at MCM Expo in London this week to discuss the role and the film as a whole - And not for nothing either as he continues to pound away at fans who enjoy his movies, but insist on stealing them online which will otherwise kill any chance of the film happening before 2030 if we're lucky (my words, not his).
Adkins also shares several new images from his latest, Accident Man, and some gems on Michael Cuesta's American Assassin, working with Tony Jaa on the recently-wrapped ensemble action thriller, Triple Threat, and muc…

With weeks away before cameras roll for upcoming martial arts mobster comedy, Made In Chinatown, we can report that the production will pair director Art Camacho with producer Robert Samuels who will also share the helm as co-director. The news comes roughly one week since Camacho's arrival to the director's chair after replacing another filmmaker who was already attached as the film underwent several months of development.
Camacho and Samuels will direct from a script by executive producer and author Mark V. Wiley that centers on Vinny, a hapless Chinatown resident who, with the help of his sifu and a select few good friends, works to assimilate himself into Italian mob life and gain top-tier status whilst in pursuit of the girl of his dreams. The independent New York City-set action comedy production lands stuntman, world-class wushu stylist and champion Gold medalist, actor Alfred Hsing (Ready Player One, Ip Man 3, Birth Of The Dragon) his first major acting role.
Hungry …

I myself couldn't really get past some of the fan-service that culminates all seemingly ado with the current Kickboxer franchise following the reboot in 2016. I suppose the best part is that Dmitri Logothetis has found a direction to take it in, onward from Vengeance through Redemption and now with the third, Kickboxer: Armageddon. And indeed, that's Alain Moussi in the footage donning a whole new Kurt Sloan we haven't seen before. Brand new look and all!
Other details are officially pending but Logothetis himself has mentioned the possible return of Mike Tyson, Ronadinho and Christopher Lambert in addition to George St. Pierre and other UFC and sports favorites...and Snoop Dogg for some reason? He's also presented a brand new teaser to help stir the fandom some, so check it out anf expect more Kickboxer news onward through 2019.

The May 17, 2019 release of John Wick: Chapter Three pretty much has everyone engaged losing their collective skulls at the moment. Production is already underway and confirming previous rumors of late is actress Halle Berry asserting her place in the cast.
Thus, she'll be joining in with a lot for the film's returning cast members, in addition to a wave of new names totaling actors Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick all reprising their roles, and with actresses Asia Kate Dillon and Anjelica Huston, and actors Mark Dacascos and Jason Mantzoukas to the cast.
The production has released cast cards with the roles all respective to the performers listed for whom Chad Stahelski will direct for Lionsgate for the production's remaining duration. Check it all out below and stay tuned, because I'm ready for more surprises! JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM Cast

Events at Cannes have been a turning point for some film fans highly keen on all things ado with action star, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Having made a splash this year with buzz for the launch of his Rodin Entertainment sales banner and announcing another slate of film prospects, his latest offering now brings us a pulsating look at Braqueurs helmer Julien Leclerq's new thriller, Lukas, otherwise hailed in our territories as The Bouncer.Lukas, a nightclub bouncer in his fifties who's taken punches, literally and figuratively, struggles to raise his 8 year old daughter. One day, Lukas loses control during an altercation with a client and ends up in jail, while his daughter gets placed under the care of social services. But things take an unexpected turn when Interpol recruits Lukas to bring down a Dutch ringleader operating from Belgium in exchange for his daughter's custody.
The first official teaser and accommodation poster have both arrived and very befitting with one anoth…

About five years ago I managed to interview stuntwoman, actress and producer Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez. It was through her I managed to build a rapport with several other veterans and up-and-comers in the industry whilst getting an angle going on covering the stunt field and it was a privelege to be able to exchange with her than as it still is now from time to time.

She's a talented singer as well - a fact that I was reminded of clean and clear when last year, I managed to screen one of her most recent short film appearances, Pimpkillah, courtesy of filmmaker and comic book creator Sarah Bitely. I think it quite surprised Michelle and that was sort of the feeling I got when I commented on one of her posts at the time.

Alas, the shortfilm has since gone public, marking a significant milestone for the budding filmmaker and comic book creator who moved from her hometown on the outskirts of DC/Baltimore in Maryland to Los Angeles, California in 2010. Her coming out party has assuredly …

Saban Films has kept its own market waiting long enough it seems and thus, the official trailer went live for Pasha Patriki's latest, Black Water, hailing a fifth pairing for action star duo Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. The film is written by Chad Law with a story that centers on a deep cover operative who awakens, imprisoned in the confines of a CIA black site on a submarine and forced in a race against the clock to search for answers amidst a daring escape.Action-movie icons Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren deliver a double shot of adrenaline-fueled excitement in this heartpounding undersea thriller. After a failed mission, deep-cover operative Wheeler (Van Damme) is imprisoned in a CIA black site on a submarine. The CIA agents will to go to any lengths to get information from Wheeler—but nothing can prepare them for the storm of violence that erupts when he joins forces with a fellow prisoner (Lundgren) as deadly as he is mysterious. Black Water opens throu…